


a best friend’s duty

by sxftmelody



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, highschool au where theres no superpowers or evil parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-04 01:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13353825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxftmelody/pseuds/sxftmelody
Summary: Karolina isn’t exactly skilled in the fields of kissing and ‘hooking up’, but Nico’s her best friend and that’s what best friends are for, right?…Right?





	a best friend’s duty

**Author's Note:**

> just smth i threw together real quick bc deanoru are my babies and i love them sm.

  
  
  


—

  
  


“Hey, Nico, we still up for tonight?” Karolina asks as she leans next to the smaller girl’s locker.

 

Nico hums, “Of course. I would  _ never _ miss a movie night sleepover.”

 

Karolina smiles (as she always does when she’s around Nico) and nods, “Good. I’ll see you then?”

 

“Yeah, and  _ I’m  _ picking the movie.”

 

Karolina laughs as she walks away, telling herself to prepare for whatever odd, gory, horror movie she’s gonna have to watch later that night. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Jennifer’s Body?” Karolina blinks at the title, feeling a churning in her stomach at the familiar title. 

 

“Yeah, you know it?”

 

“Uh, no,” Karolina lies. She knows the movie—she has never  _ watched _ the movie—but she’s seen one particular scene multiple times before. “What’s it about?”

 

Nico pats the spot next to her as she clicks on the link.

 

“Sit and you’ll find out!”

  
  
  
  
  


Once _that_ scene comes on, where the hot, boy-eating brunette girl kisses her nerdy blonde best friend (who also happens to be a girl), Karolina squirms uncomfortably. 

 

Nico notices and hits pause. 

 

“It’s a  _ kissing _ scene,” Nico says amusedly, “We’ve watched sex scenes more intense than this!”

 

“Yeah, with a  _ boy _ and a  _ girl _ ,” Karolina mumbles.

 

Nico deflates, “Wait… you’re… are you uncomfortable because they’re both girls?”

 

“Yes,” Karolina answers without thinking before realizing how shitty that made her sound, “Ugh, no! No, that’s not what I meant—it’s just—“

 

“You’re treading on thin ice here, Karo,” Nico warns.

 

Karolina stammers and stutters between broken sentences. Nico opens her mouth to speak again but Karolina beats her to it. 

  
  
  
  
  


“ _ I’m gay _ .”

  
  
  
  


Nico blinks at her.

 

“Huh…” she says, seeming indifferent to the revelation, “How long have you known?”

 

“I… I don’t know, since Chase’s birthday party, I guess? There were these two girls kissing and… it just kind of made something  _ click _ , you know?”

 

“I see…” Nico nods, “So, you were moving around so much during the scene because you were getting horny?”

 

“ _ Nico! _ ” Karolina shouts in exasperation, slapping the girl on the arm.

 

“I’m just asking!” Nico replies defensively, laughing. When Karolina doesn’t look like a tomato and Nico stops laughing, the smaller girl takes Karolina’s hand in hers. 

 

“Hey, forreal, tho,” she says quietly, “I’m glad you told me.”

 

“There wouldn’t be anybody else I’d rather tell first,” Karolina replies with a small smile. 

 

Nico, who has a strong hate for emotional one-on-one’s, turns back to the movie. 

 

“Okay, I’m gonna hit the play button—try not to cum,”

 

“ _ Nico!” _

  
  
  
  
  
  


_ — _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“What’s up, sunshine? You’re not looking too hot,” Nico says as soon as she enters Karolina’s room. 

 

Karolina’s mom had let Nico in as soon as she showed up to the girl’s house. 

 

(“Oh, Nico, I almost didn’t recognize you without all the make-up!”

 

Nico laughs because she knows the woman is kidding—considering the woman practically raised her herself with how much she came over.

 

“Thanks, Miss Dean, I appreciate it, really.”

 

“Anytime, dear. There’s leftover lasagna in the fridge if you’re hungry! I’m off to do some errands!”

 

She leaves with a kiss on Nico’s forehead.)

 

Karolina frowns at her because— _ hello? _ —she  _ just  _ entered the room and she can already sense Karolina’s mood? What type of telepathic psychic shit?

 

“It’s nothing,” Karolina says dismissively, in a way that makes it seem like it’s definitely  _ not  _ nothing. Nico gives her  _ the look _ and sits next to Karolina on her bed. 

 

“Who do I have to fight?”

 

Karolina laughs at this, imagining her tiny best friend in a fight. 

 

Nico feigns a look of hurt and betrayal, “Excuse you! I can  _ destroy _ people’s shins.”

 

“Their shins?” Karolina questions with a smile. 

 

Nico shrugs, “It’s the only thing I can reach.”

 

Karolina laughs and shakes her head, “You’re ridiculous.”

 

“It made you laugh, though,” Nico shifts closer, tapping Karolina’s knee, “Now, tell me what’s up.”

 

“It’s stupid,” Karolina groans, laying back down on her bed. Nico’s quick to follow her, laying on her side and resting her elbow on the pillows to keep her body up. 

 

“Try me,”

 

They lock eyes for a moment before Karolina looks up at the ceiling. 

 

“Gert kept talking to me about how nice it is to make out with Chase and to have sex with him and stuff and then she was like ‘you know?’ and I completely blanked out because,  _ no _ , I don’t know, and then somehow she figured out that I’m gay—Gert has a ‘gaydar’ or some shit, don’t ask—and then she kept trying to talk to me about how girls are usually better kissers and are better in bed and  _ then _ —“

 

“Woah, breathe, Karolina,  _ breathe _ ,” Nico says, watching Karolina with slightly worried eyes. 

 

Karolina does as she’s told, taking a deep breath. 

 

“I realized that I haven’t ever really been kissed,” Karolina says in a quiet voice, like she’s ashamed. 

 

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Nico responds without any hesitation. 

 

“I  _ know _ , but I  _ want _ to be able to relate to Gert—to feel how soft another girl’s lips are, or to taste her lipstick—it’s stupid, I told you,”

 

“It’s  _ not _ stupid, Karolina,” and the force in Nico’s tone of voice makes the blonde girl snap her eyes over, “I’m going to suggest something… and you have to promise me you won’t freak out.”

 

“What—“

 

“ _ Promise. _ ”

 

Karolina gulps, not knowing what Nico has in mind. 

 

“I promise.”

 

“Okay,” Nico nods. Karolina keeps her eyes trained on Nico’s. 

 

“How about you kiss me?”

 

At the suggestion, Karolina’s mind goes blank, but her eyes briefly flutter down to look at Nico’s pink lips. 

 

“What?”

 

“You said you wanted to know what it’s like to kiss a girl, right?” Nico says, “I’m your best friend—and I’m  _ a girl _ .”

 

“But… isn’t that  _ weird _ ?”

 

“It’s only weird if we make it weird,” Nico smiles. 

 

Karolina isn’t sure what to say to that, her eyes shifting their focus between Nico’s eyes and then to her lips and then back to her eyes. There’s a swooping sensation in her stomach when she realizes that— _ yeah,  _ she actually  _ wants _ to kiss Nico right now—and it should make her run for the woods but there’s something so comforting in Nico’s gaze that keeps her anchored. 

 

Karolina realizes there’s no one else she’d want to lose her first kiss to besides Nico Minoru. 

 

“Okay,” Karolina whispers. 

 

Whilst Nico leans down, Karolina tilts her head up, and their lips meet gently. At first, there are only gentle pecks—as to let the both of them test the waters—and then their lips stay connected for longer than two seconds. 

 

When Karolina lifts a hand and cups Nico’s cheek, their lips are moving gently against each other’s. Karolina’s fingertips lightly press against Nico’s jawline, her thumb caressing soft skin.

 

Nico pulls away and Karolina chokes back a noise that would’ve been a whimper. Karolina sits up against her headboard as Nico sits up as well. Their eyes meet and Karolina hopes— _ prays _ —that it doesn’t get awkward. 

 

When Nico smiles at Karolina, the blonde girl looks down at her lap shyly. 

 

“You sure that was your first kiss?”

 

Karolina feels her cheeks warming up. 

 

“I hate you,” Karolina mumbles, burying her face in her hands as Nico starts to laugh. 

 

“No, seriously! You’re a good kisser,”

 

“Oh my  _ God _ , please  _ leave _ !” Karolina replies, voice muffled. 

 

Nico giggles, pulling Karolina’s hands away from her face, “So, was that enough experience for you and Gert to relate over?”

 

Karolina feels her neck warming up once more, “Are you offering more?”

 

It’s Nico’s turn to get flustered.

 

“I mean—I don’t… I was just saying—If you wanted to—“

 

“Oh, no… I think I actually broke Nico Minoru,” Karolina says, trying to keep a serious tone but failing miserably as she ends up smiling. Nico rolls her eyes, shoving Karolina’s shoulder. 

 

Karolina laughs before she bites down on her lower lip, looking away, “You’re… a good kisser, too.”

 

“I  _ better _ be—you don’t have anything else to compare me to,” Nico snorts. 

 

“I mean… I  _ enjoyed _ kissing you, so that’s gotta count,”

 

“You don’t feel weird, do you? About kissing me?” Nico asks, tilting her head to the side. 

 

“No,” Karolina shakes her head, “I feel fine… I feel happy, actually.”

 

“Like, giddy?”

 

“Yeah, giddy,” Karolina repeats with a wide smile.

 

“Okay, cool,” Nico mirrors her smile, “me, too.”

  
  
  
  
  


—

  
  
  
  


When Karolina accidentally walks in on Nico and Alex a few days later, she isn’t expecting to feel so torn about it. Both Nico and Alex avert their eyes from Karolina’s gaze as they walk out of the room, and Karolina takes in a shaky breath. 

 

As Nico’s best friend, she should be happy for Nico, right? Alex is a friend of both of them so they both know he’s a good guy. 

 

There’s just an uncomfortable feeling in Karolina’s stomach—one that’s twisting and turning and stabbing Karolina in the heart—that Karolina can’t ignore. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Are you acting like this because you caught me and Alex?” Nico asks before she even gets Karolina’s door fully open. 

 

Karolina, who’s in the midst of changing, yelps and turns around, “Nico!”

 

“Put a shirt on, we need to have this conversation,” Nico says (Karolina notices the slight waver in her voice).

 

Karolina slips on an old hoodie and turns around.

 

Nico’s standing in front of her closed door with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. 

 

“ _ No, _ it’s not because of that,” Karolina grumbles, making her way to her bed.

 

“Then what is it?” Nico follows her, plopping down onto the bed next to her, “Is it because  _ we _ kissed?”

 

She gestures between herself and Karolina with raised eyebrows. When Karolina doesn’t reply right away, Nico’s eyes widen. 

 

“You said you wouldn’t be weird about it!”

 

“I’m not being weird about it!” Karolina responds, “And I never said I wouldn’t be weird about it, I said I wouldn’t freak out at your suggestion!”

 

Nico groans, “Karolina.”

 

“It’s not because of _ that _ ,” Karolina says quietly, turning her head away, “Really, it’s not.”

 

“Then what is it? You’ve been avoiding me like the plague,” Nico’s voice is riddled with hurt. 

 

Karolina sighs and shakes her head, “You wouldn’t understand.”

 

“Try me,”

 

“Seriously, Nico,” Karolina looks at the girl, “You wouldn’t.”

 

“Karolina Dean, if you don’t tell me—“

 

Karolina kisses her. 

 

And then immediately pulls away. 

 

“What… was that for?” Nico questions confusedly. 

 

“I’ve been wanting to do that again ever since we kissed,” 

 

“Is that why you’ve been acting so weird?” Nico asks softly. 

 

Karolina is on the verge of tears as she nods. 

 

“Karo…”

 

“It’s fucking  _ weird _ , I know,” Karolina gets up from the bed and starts pacing around the room, “You’re my  _ best friend _ , I shouldn’t be thinking like this about my  _ best friend _ —I shouldn’t want to kiss my  _ best friend _ , I shouldn’t—“

 

“If you say ‘best friend’ one more time, Karolina, I swear to  _ God _ …”

 

Karolina stops pacing and shoots Nico an unamused look. 

 

Nico sends her back a small smile as she sits at the edge of the bed, looking at her. 

 

“Why didn’t you just tell me? You know, as best friends, we’re obligated to tell the truth about each other.”

 

“So, why didn’t you tell me about you liking Alex?”

 

“Oh, so this  _ is _ related to Alex,” Nico raises her eyebrows, “Look, I didn’t tell you about me liking Alex because I never did. I don’t know if you could tell, Karo, but we were all pretty wasted at that party.”

 

Karolina chews on her bottom lip nervously. 

 

“Well… it’s not easy to admit you like your best friend,” she says, barely above a whisper. 

 

Nico still has that damn soft smile on her face and even though it usually makes Karolina feel safe, she’s nearly bursting at the seams with anxiety and a  _ smile _ is not quite the response she needs from Nico right now. 

 

“Come here,” Nico waves her closer, patting the bed. 

 

Karolina takes in a deep breath and does as she’s told, sitting down. 

 

“I’m glad you told me,” Nico starts off. 

 

“You are?” Karolina responds in surprise. 

 

“Yeah, so I can do this…”

 

Nico leans in, kissing Karolina, who kisses her right back. It’s a brief kiss because Karolina pulls back. 

 

“Wait, wait, wait—you like me  _ back _ ?”

 

“Did that kiss not prove that?” Nico blinks exaggeratedly. 

 

“But I thought you were straight?”

 

“I’m bi… Karolina, why do you think I got so upset when we watched Jennifer’s Body and I thought you were being homophobic?”

 

“I don’t know! Because you’re a good person who cares about equal rights?”

 

“Oh my God,” Nico shakes her head, “Just—“

 

They both burst out laughing.

 

“We’re idiots, aren’t we?”

 

“Who’s ‘we’? You thought I liked Alex!”

 

“You were  _ sitting _ on top of him!” Karolina points out. 

 

In one swift moment, Nico’s suddenly in her lap. 

 

“And now I’m sitting on  _ you _ ,”

 

“I hate you,” Karolina says as her cheeks start to turn red. Nico leans in and kisses her gently. 

 

“No, you don’t,”

 

Karolina smiles against her lips. 

 

“No, I don’t.”


End file.
